Review: If You Want Me

Title: If You Want Me
Series: The Ashford Legacy, #2
Author: Cassi Carver
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Release Date: June 24, 2014
Pages: 107
Buy Links: Amazon | Samhain | iBooks | BN

Blurb:

Revenge wasn’t supposed to be this sweet…

Sara Castillo has sworn never to get sucked into the world of the rich and famous, not after billionaire Benjamin Swayne broke her heart and left her carrying the burden of their shared secret.

Now Sara has a successful career working with her dear friend, Kyle Ashford, and her life runs like a well-oiled machine—until Kyle chooses Ben as his best man. No way will Sara let the renowned bad boy turn Kyle’s bachelor party into a front-page fiasco. She’s going to plan the party herself…even if she has to blackmail Ben into agreeing.

Ben isn’t thrilled about working with a woman who’d like to shank him and dump his body in a roadside ditch. But he’s willing to let Sara meddle, if only to teach her a lesson. And if the sight and scent of his old flame still makes his head swim…well, tough.

After Kyle’s party is wrapped up, Ben may finally be able to put Sara in the past. That is, if their time together doesn’t convince them they have a future.

Warning: This book contains a woman who likes being in control, a billionaire who likes to make her lose it, and enough sex toys to satisfy an army.

"You hungry?" he asked.

She wasn't, but it was such a waste to go to bed and let the fruit go untouched. She found the cupboard containing dishes and put a few skewers of melon and pineapple on a plate. "Sure, thanks. I'll take a couple of these to bed."

He put her purse down by her luggage. "You want a glass of wine or anything?"

Crap, he was being so nice, it was killing her. They hadn't been nice to each other for the better part of a decade, and Sara almost didn't know how to respond. "Water is fine...thanks. And can I get you...some fruit or something?"

He uncapped a bottle of water and handed it to her, then peeled back the plastic covering the dessert basket. "Nah. No fruit for me. I think I need something with a little more kick." He sorted through a stack of gourmet cookies and came up with a white chocolate macadamia nut slab as big as his palm.

She chuckled. "I don't know how you can eat like that and still look like you do."

He raised his brows and leaned back against the wall, surely knowing it made his shirt pull tight over his abs. "Why? How do I look?"

Her gaze ran over his lean, muscled body. He looked like he'd taste better than that damn cookie is how he looked. But they weren't so friendly yet that she'd admit it. "Healthy, Ben. You look healthy." He looked like her greatest mistake and her greatest temptation, all wrapped up in one heart-stopping package."

Where do I start this review? This book was all kinds of brilliant! It is late at night and here I am, writing this review. Go figure.

Let's just dive right into it, shall we? Sara was the kind of woman I wanted to be, if I was being honest. She was strong and powerful in her own way, even if she wasn't the boss. I wanted her skills in controlling her facial expressions and keeping her cool at all times. She was an absolute queen in my eyes.

"The women. I mean, do we have to share, or are we taking turns?
Is this by the hour or do we have all night?" --Sara

And then, there was Ben. Oh man... Ben had a friend called Big P. They were very good friends. I absolutely LOVED them both ;) This book was so funny and emotional at the same time. I absolutely loved that. I couldn't put this down. By the time I got to the end, I thought it was so epic that I wanted more! I didn't want it to end!

Sara and Ben had an explosive chemistry that was clear from the very beginning. I just found their story so romantic!

If I'm not mistaken, there's only one book left in this series. Oh, why did they have to end?

Anyway, if you're looking for a great read, I highly suggest this series. Click here if you want to read my review of If You Need Me, book 1 of the Ashford Legacy.

Arianne

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Promo: Bridged by Love

Hi everyone! Today, I have the first book in a werewolf series! Keep on reading for an excerpt below.

Title: Bridged by Love
Series: Kagan Wolves, #1
Author: Nancy Corrigan
Publisher: Samhain
Release Date: July 21, 2015
Pages: 207
Buy Links: Amazon | BN | Google Play | Kobo | iBooks

Blurb:

Follow his head, he breaks her heart. Follow his heart…he breaks his pack.

From the moment he was born, Nic Kagan’s future was sealed. He’ll accept a mate, have kids, and eventually take over his father’s role as pack alpha. There’s just one problem.

Long ago, his heart settled on Riley, the pack’s human doctor and honorary member. Except only half of him can have her. The other half—his wolf—won’t give a weak non-shifter female a second sniff.

No one—human or shifter—has left a mark on Riley’s soul like Nic. But with his father hospitalized, any hope things could work out between them is slipping away. Yet Riley understands something else about pack life. Power isn’t always a physical gift; love is just as strong. What she and Nic have is worth fighting for.

With rival threats mounting, Nic realizes he can’t simply turn his back on Riley. Though his wolf could tear his heart out for it, he must fight for what he wants before he loses his mate. His pack. Maybe even his sanity.

Warning: Contains a reluctant alpha with only one roadblock between his heart and the woman he loves—biology. And a woman who isn’t giving up on him, even if it means risking her life to fool Mother Nature.

Nic ran through the woods. The broken twigs and rocks poking into his paws barely registered. He pivoted and headed deeper into the underbrush. The sharp pulling of the low-hanging tree limbs on his fur appealed to his need to punish himself. He wanted to hurt. A fight would’ve been better, but he couldn’t go around initiating any. Actions like that would come off as a dominance tactic, and the Kagan males had always held to a higher standard. They understood all members of a pack played a vital role.

He lowered his head and pushed through the bowing evergreens. An open space greeted him. He froze. Sides heaving and blood soaking his fur, he panted and took in the small home in front of him—Riley’s place. His dad had bought it for her. Last time Nic had seen it was right after she’d moved in. She must’ve remodeled since then. Where the concrete stoop once stood, a wide front porch spanned the house. It looked inviting with the swing and chairs decorating it. He could see himself lounging on it, enjoying the night.

A low growl rumbled in his chest.

It didn’t surprise him that he’d ended up here. He hadn’t been able to get thoughts of her out of his head. Guilt ate at him. He’d treated her like shit the last time they were together. She deserved an apology and explanation. If he’d been man enough, he would’ve been straight with her then.

He padded across the gravel road. On the other side, soft grass met the pads of his paws. Halfway across the front yard, the door opened. Riley stepped out, a bottle of beer in hand. An oversize flannel shirt covered her chest and bare thighs. Jealousy surged, knowing she wore another male’s clothes. Shock replaced it with his next breath. It was his shirt, the one he’d had on the last time they were together. She whipped her head in his direction. Narrowed eyes zeroed in on him. They widened on a gasp. She set her bottle down and sprinted across the yard. Her loosely buttoned top gave him a tantalizing glimpse of her legs. He sat on his haunches to watch her, but she reached him before he could decide if the swath of black between her thighs was a thong or a bikini.

“Nic”—she dropped to her knees in front of him—“what happened?”

He couldn’t answer her in his wolf form. She knew that. She also understood that depending on how much control he gave his other half, he might not even hear her. It never stopped her from approaching shifters. She’d said she could tell who was in charge by looking into their eyes.

“You’re bleeding.” She brushed back his fur and gently touched the skin around a long gash. “This wasn’t from a fight, was it?” He shook his head, the only answer he could give in his limited form.

She stared into his eyes. Not a hint of fear showed in her expression. She treated his dad and the other dominants with the respect owed them by avoiding eye contact. Never Nic, at least not in private, but the rules were different around the other wolves. Riley had always understood the need for hierarchy among the members. In the pack’s eyes, she was as low as one could be. In his, she was his equal. “Shift and tell me why you decided to drag your sorry ass to my house. None of these cuts need my attention.”

Click the button if you'd like to read a steamier excerpt.

“Do you like what you see?”

Riley’s husky voice drew him back from the edge. Tension drained from his limbs. He yanked her panties off, tossing them across the room. “Yeah, baby, I do. I like it a lot.”

Using his thumbs, he swiped the length of her lips from bottom to top, spreading her folds and searing the memory of her perfect sex into his mind. Pink and glistening, she looked damn inviting. He knew every inch of her body, inside and out. He’d memorized her every trigger point and learned how far he could push her before pleasure turned to pain, but the sight of her, wet and welcoming, always left him in awe. “Fucking beautiful.” His mouth watered. The small taste he’d gotten from licking his fingers hadn’t been enough to satisfy his craving. He needed to lap up her spilled cream and drink of her release. The urge took over, one he couldn’t resist. He bent and licked her cleft. Her rich flavor hit him. He groaned.

So damn good.

He wanted to get drunk on her. More licks, more swipes, and she writhed for him. He laid a hand on her lower stomach and pushed, urging her to lie back and let him pleasure her. She followed his direction. No hesitation. He slid her bottom to the very edge of the counter and massaged her hips as he teased her lower lips with slow strokes of his tongue over her cleft. More sweet cream flowed, an irresistible lure. He dipped the tip of his tongue into her opening, and her body gripped the small invasion. Overly sensitive from her last orgasm, every touch wound her higher. A few more thrusts, and she’d come for him. The trembling in her thighs told him how close she was to finding ecstasy.

Not yet. He hadn’t fulfilled his craving.

He withdrew his tongue and repeated the languid exploration of her sex, dipping into her hot center on each pass, but not lingering. And she writhed for him. Clutched at his forearms. Moaned his name.

Perfect. She’s perfect.

He dropped to his knees and draped her legs over his shoulders, spreading her wide. The arousal waiting for him to feast on coated her cleft. With his hands under her bottom, he tipped her hips, bringing her sex closer, and kissed her lower lips as deeply as he’d taken her mouth moments before.

“Oh God. More. Give me more. Feels so good.”

Her praise registered in his hazy mind. He might’ve smiled, but he couldn’t tear himself away from her sex. Her flavor drugged him. Her moans enflamed him. Nothing else mattered beyond his need to worship her body and make her wild.

Make her come. Hard. Exactly as she’d demanded.

A little about Nancy…

A true romantic at heart, Nancy Corrigan is convinced there’s a knight in shining armor for every woman (or man), but you won’t find damsels in distress in her stories. She adores pairing alpha heroes with women strong enough to match them and bring them to their knees. She also enjoys flipping the traditional roles in romances because her motto is—love and people should never be forced to conform to anyone’s norm.

She holds a degree in chemistry and has worked in research but now focuses on ensuring quality. She considers it the perfect outlet for her as she’s the first to admit she has some OCD tendencies. It carries over into her writing life too. While engrossed in a novel, she has a habit of forgetting to eat and sleep. Fortunately, she’s married to her own knight in shining armor who understands her oddities and loves her anyway. They reside in Pennsylvania with their three children, dog, snake and guinea pigs. Her other interests include tattoos, animals, classic cars and all things spooky and sexy.

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Review: If You Need Me

I think Cassi Carver is quite underrated as an author. Just look at her ratings on Amazon: she has 4 and 5 stars, but not enough exposure.. Here's to hoping this one review will change that, even if just in a small way...

Title: If You Need Me
Series: The Ashford Legacy, #1
Author: Cassi Carver
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Release Date: March 18, 2014
Pages: 99
Buy Links: Amazon | Samhain | BN | ARe

I was gifted a copy of this book for an honest review.

Blurb:

How far will she go for love?

Erotica author Rayna Sommers wears a daring smile in her publicity photos, but the truth would shock her legions of fans. The woman whose stories take readers on wild sexual adventures to exotic locales is terrified of the world outside her front door.

Isolation may be safe, but it’s also quite lonely until Rayna meets a charming fan online. Kyle is sexy, funny, everything Rayna desires, and soon their daily emails flare into sizzling-hot video chats. Too bad Kyle lives on the East Coast and Rayna on the West. For a woman who can’t even cross the street, much less the country, her dream of a life with Kyle is just too far out of reach.

Kyle has an even bigger problem than getting Rayna Sommers to step outside her comfort zone. He’s head over heels in love with her, but he hasn’t told her the truth. He’s really Kyle Ashford, billionaire heir to the Ashford empire. The owner of the company that’s about to shut her publisher—and her livelihood—down for good.

Warning: This book contains a sexy billionaire who knows what he wants, a housebound author who’d love to give it to him, and a special-needs pet hen that just might steal your heart.

Contemporary is one of my favorite genres of romance. I just think it's the most relatable genre and most realistic.

I came across this book when Samhain was having a sale on their website. I contacted the author and it turns out, I had the perk of getting review copies for being part of the author's street team. Since this was the first book, I went ahead and accepted it to see if I would like it.

Rayna had agoraphobia which meant she couldn't leave the house without getting really panicky. I could understand the struggle since I have anxiety and sometimes being out in public is a difficulty. Having a relatable character certainly was a winner for me.

Rayna's relationship with Kyle could be viewed as too good to be true. However, Kyle proved that he was real and he was not messing around. I really appreciated the way he cared for Rayna and tried to understand her situation without judging her. 

I sent a message to Cassi a few times commenting on the book as I read, and one of my favorite parts was when Rayna shrieked at Kyle saying "give me my chicken!" I mean, not only did she have a phobia, but she also had a pet chicken. It was an interesting combination.

Overall, this was such a fun read. Just be warned that this book isn't a clean contemporary. I mean, Rayna was an erotica author. What do you expect? ;) I do think it's worth the read. I really enjoyed it.

P.S. I just bought the second book on Amazon. Watch out for a review in about a month or so :)

Arianne

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